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Soviet Union [USSR] Agricultural Workers
Agricultural workers, on both state farms and collective farms,
formed the bottom layer of the social structure in 1989. They were
the least well paid and the least educated, and they were severely
underrepresented in the CPSU. Most agricultural workers performed
unspecialized labor. Where specialization existed, it did so only
to the extent that raising poultry or livestock demanded greater
skill than growing crops. In general, mechanized agriculture
benefited men more than women because men tended to operate the
tractors while women continued to perform manual work.
Although all farmers cultivated state-owned farmland, in 1989
farm workers were divided into two categories. State farmers were
technically employees of the state. Working with government-owned
machinery and seed, they received wages from the state for their
labor. In contrast, collective farmers theoretically owned their
machinery and seed and shared the proceeds from the produce sold.
Data as of May 1989
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